This invention relates to mail processing systems and, more particularly, to a mail processing system controller for real time system control and having the ability to interface with a plurality of peripheral devices.
Conventional mail processing system are generally custom configured to suit the particular user's need from an array of individual system of varying system performance specifications. These systems are virtually pieced together based on suitable performance specification matching and caused to operate in a generally sequential manner by the use of "Go - No Go" signals. It is also known to provide a very limited interface between the mail processing system indicia meter to a personal computer. Generally, this type of interface is non-interactive allowing for communication only from the mailing machine to the personal computer whereby limited accounting information is obtainable. Another limited interface presently known is non-interactive communication interface from a scale to the meter.
The primary obstacle to full control integration of mail processing systems, that is, placing the mail processing systems total functionality under real time microprocessor control is the relative large amount of high speed data processing capability necessary for integrated control of the system component and, further, the large amount of shared data which would be required to pass to and from the microprocessor controller in real time from the system components. A still further obstacle has been to provide such a system controller with an open architecture suitable for accommodating a variety of system configurations and. even further, which will interactively accomodate a variety of peripheral devices The afore represents severe constraint within the cost realities of such a controlled system. That is, utilizing conventional technology to endow a mail processing system with such microprocessor controlled capability has generally been considered cost prohibitive.